Drivers beware

Ohio enters peak season for deer-related vehicle crashes

Drivers beware.

It’s that time of the year when deer-related car accidents become more and more frequent, according to information from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the state’s Department of Insurance, AAA and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Sheffield Village police Lt. Daren Ketchum also is warning drivers to stay alert and off their cellphones.

“Don’t be a distracted driver,” Ketchum said. Some drivers can get a false sense of security when traveling on a road with little traffic in the late evening or early morning hours, he said. And that’s not wise, Ketchum said.

“You may think nobody is out here; I’m not going to cause an accident,” he said. “Watch out for the posted deer crossing signs, because that’s where the majority of the deer get hit.”

Nearly 50 percent of deer-related crashes in the state occur in the three months from October to December.

Since 2016, there have been a total of 100,672 such crashes reported in the state, with 47 percent occurring in late fall and early winter.

Lorain County reported the fourth-highest total in the state over that time frame with 2,193.

Stark, Richland, Trumbull and Hancock counties also have high counts of deer-related vehicle crashes, according to the Highway Patrol.

The crashes are expensive and sometimes deadly.

Ninety-five percent of the wrecks result in property damage and 27 of the crashes resulted in 28 deaths since 2016, the Highway Patrol said.

The average insurance claim on a deer-related crash is $4,000 and that number is climbing as newer cars with sophisticated sensor systems can incur costly damage in what AAA terms “minor collisions,” according to the Highway Patrol.

According to the Ohio Highway Patrol, the majority of deer-related crashes occur in early morning hours — between 5 a.m. and 7:59 a.m. — and early evening — between 6 p.m. and 9:59 p.m.

So what’s a driver to do? If traveling on a dark road, use your bright lights, unless it’s foggy, because the fog will cause the lights to reflect into the eyes of the driver, Ketchum said.

“Look for that little tiny glow of the (deer’s) eyes coming from the side of the road,” he said.

A breakout of Bluetongue virus in Sheffield Village in recent years significantly reduced the deer population there, Ketchum said.

But the animals still are around.

Deer become increasingly active at this time of year because it’s their fall mating season, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Chief Kendra Walker.

And if you see one deer, assume there are many more in the area, Walker said.

“Deer rarely run alone,” she said.

Gov. Mike DeWine even weighed in on the issue.

“As we enter the peak season for car-deer collisions in Ohio, I encourage drivers to use extra caution and slow down, especially at dawn or dusk when deer are more active,” DeWine said. “A crash with a deer can be just as destructive as a crash with another vehicle.

“So, it’s important that drivers remember to stay alert and watch out for animals crossing the road,” the governor added.